St. Cloud and Orlando receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
St. Cloud
Orlando
Opportunity
58 · Top 46%
vs62 · Top 36%
Growth
73 · Top 13%
vs60 · Top 33%
Climate
80 · Top 18%
vs80 · Top 18%
Physical resilience
19 · Bottom 12%
vs47 · Bottom 37%
Housing affordability
71 · Bottom 36%
vs50 · Bottom 10%
Schools
50 · Bottom 48%
vs39 · Bottom 33%
Access
97 · Top 22%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 49%
vs56 · Bottom 42%
Measured values
| Metric | St. Cloud | Orlando | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 65,130 | 319,758 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $83,174 | $72,336 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,724 | $43,312 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,233/sq mi | 2,878/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $356,200 | $394,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,683 | $1,747 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 72.5% | 39.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.6% | 42.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.1% | 14.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,115 | 2,224 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 17.1 | 7.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -37.3% | -14.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 50°F | 50°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 51.4" | 51.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 38.0 min | 28.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.0 | 35.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 101 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.89 | 17.91 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 56.1% | 50.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 55.6% | 51.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 46.4% | 42.7% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
St. Cloud
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Orlando
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Full profiles: St. Cloud, FL · Orlando, FL · How this is calculated: methodology